Centrifuge

ABSTRACT

A centrifuge particularly for use for sugar extraction includes an outer protective jacket which is supported on a gimbal ring for resilient pivotal movement. The ring, in turn, is supported on resilient pivots for pivotal movement about an axis extending 90* to the pivotal mounting of the jacket. The centrifuge includes a drum mounted within the jacket for rotative movement. In one embodiment the drum is supported by and driven by an electric motor which in turn is carried on radially extending arms supported on the outer protective jacket. In another embodiment the driving motor is mounted on a stationary frame and the drum is driven by a telescopic drive shaft connected to the motor and to the respective drum through pivotal or universal joint constructions.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Werner Steprath Gohr, Neuss, Germany [21] Appl. No. 874,125 [22] Filed Nov. 5, 1969 [45] Patented Sept. 28, 1971 [73] Assignee Braunschweigische Maschinenbauanstalt Braunschweig, Germany [32] Priority Jan. 31, 1969 [3 3] Germany [31] P1904774.6

[54] CENTRIFUGE 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] us. Cl 210/364, 210/366 [51] lnt.Cl. B04b 9/12 [50] Field of Search 210/364, 366

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,233,735 2/1966 Hultsch et al 210/367 FOREIGN PATENTS 418,607 12/1910 France 210/366 104,913 6/1942 Sweden 210/364 Primary Examiner-J. L. Decesare Attorney-McGlew and Toren ABSTRACT: A centrifuge particularly for use for sugar extraction includes an outer protective jacket which is supported on a gimbal ring for resilient pivotal movement. The ring, in turn, is supported on resilient pivots for pivotal movement about an axis extending 90 to the pivotal mounting of the jacket. The centrifuge includes a drum mounted within the jacket for rotative movement. In one embodiment the drum is supported by and driven by an electric motor which in turn is carried on radially extending arms supported on the outer protective jacket. in another embodiment the driving motor is mounted on a stationary frame and the drum is driven by a telescopic drive shaft connected to the motor and to the respective drum through pivotal or universal joint constructrons.

CENTRIFUGE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to the construction of centrifuges and in particular to a new and useful centrifuge for the extraction of sugar which includes an elastically and universally pivotally suspended protective jacket and a centrifuge drum which is mounted therein for rotation.

Sugar centrifuges are usually designed as so-called pendulum centrifuges. The centrifuge drum is driven by a relatively long shaft mounted on a ball joint or a universal or rubber joint fastened to a frame on which is also mounted a driving electric motor. The electric motor is usually a multiple pole reversible 3-phase motor. A disadvantage of the construction is that unusually high current peaks result from the power network when switching the various phases. A less often used DC drive results in a more unifonn load on the system but it is considerably more expensive. The pendulum suspension imparts a freedom to the drum so that when its contact is unbalanced it can balance itself so that the axis of rotation coincides with the axis of inertia. But this is possible only when the drum height is zero and the pivot point of the suspension is at an infinite distance from the drum. In the older smaller centrifuges with small drum heights the pivotal deviations, and hence the forces of imbalance which are exerted on the shafts and bearings, were kept within limits. In the modern centrifuge drums with considerably greater structural height compensation by pendulum suspension is so poor that the forces can be absorbed only by overdimensioned shafts and bearings.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a sugar centrifuge which includes a centrifuge drum which rotates about an axis which substantially approaches the axis of inertia even when its content is unevenly distributed. In order to achieve this the centrifuge includes a protective jacket which is mounted above the center of gravity of the centrifuge in a gimbal ring which in turn is mounted on resilient pivotal mounts for pivoting along an axis which extends at 90 to the axis of the pivotal mounting of the jacket. The bearing pins are elastically supported by spring elements. With the inventive arrangement if the axis of inertia of the revolving centrifuge drum becomes inclined, or offset in respect to the centerline of the drum, it will approach the axis of inertia due to the gimbal suspension of the protective jacket in conjunction with the elastic support of the ring and the jacket. The forces caused by the imbalance are in equilibrium with the forces required to accelerate the inert mass of the centrifuge in such an arrangement. To reduce the swing travel of the centrifuge, the weight of the protective jacket may be increased by supplemental weights which, however, will also increase the bearing loads.

In order to be able to safely support the weight of the centrifuge and at the same time take into consideration the circumstances which result in the forces of imbalance being predominately effective in a horizontal direction, it is provided in a further development of the invention that rubber buffers be used as spring elements and arranges so that the spring travel in a horizontal direction is great and in a vertical direction relatively small.

With one embodiment of the invention the centrifuge drum is supported upon and driven by the shafts of an electric motor which in turn is centrally supported on radially extending arms secured to the outer protective jacket. The motor is advantageously supported below the drum on the radial arms which also are arranged to conduct away any oil dripping from the motor itself. The hydraulic driving motor in connection with a remote regulating pump provides an infinitely variable transmission. A constant speed motor is all that is necessary to drive it so that no current peaks will occur as is the case when a pole-reversible 3-phase motor is employed. In addition, a complete hydrostatic drive system is considerably cheaper than a multiple pole reversal centrifuge motor.

Another advantageous embodiment of the invention results from the attachment of an emptying device for emptying the centrifuge drum at the upper edge of the protective jacket. By including the emptying device as a structural part of the pivotal or swinging system of the centrifuge the destruction of the screens placed in the centrifuge drum by scraping knives of the emptying device is avoided.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an approved centrifuge which includes an exterior protective jacket which is pivotally mounted in a gimbal mounting which is resiliently supported and which includes a drum rotatable therein and adapted to carry the products which are to be centrifuged.

A further object of the invention is to provide a centrifuge particularly for sugar extraction which includes a cylindrical protective jacket, a ring pivotally supporting said protective jacket and surrounding the exterior thereof, and means resiliently and pivotally supporting the ring for pivotal movement about an axis extending substantially from the pivotal mounting of the protective cover, and a centrifuge motor suspended from the protective cover, and a centrifuge motor suspended from the protective cover centrally therewithin and being connected to a rotatable drum carried thereby and rotatably arranged'within the protective cover.

A further object of the invention is to provide a centrifuge which includes a fixed mounting for a driving motor and a gimbal mounting for a rotatable centrifuge dmm with telescopic shaft means extending between the fixed driving motor and the rotatable drum for rotating the drum within the pivotally supported gimbal mounting.

A further object of the invention is to provide a centrifuge which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and'described preferred embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONOF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front top perspective view partly broken away of a centrifuge constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view partly in section of another embodiment of a centrifuge.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings in particular the invention embodied therein in FIG. 1 comprises a centrifuge protective jacket 1 which rotatably supports a centrifuge drum 2. A hydraulic motor 3 is supported centrally within the lower end of the drum 2 and the protective cover 1 by means of radially extending arms 4. The arms 4 are hollow so that leaking oil which might possibly issue from the hydraulic motor can be conducted to the outside through the arms 4 and thereby prevent the dripping or leaking of the oil from the motor into the sugar or other product which falls down out the center of the centrifuge. In addition the arms 4 serve to receive lines for the supply of pressure oil for driving the motor. A remote regulating pump (not shown) is located on a fixed foundation and it is driven by an electric motor to supply a driving fluid through a conduit (not shown) extending through the arm 4 and into the motor 3.

In accordance with a feature of the invention the hydraulic motor 3 which is supported on the arms 4 carried by the jacket 1 rotatably supports a hub 5 having spokes 6 which extend outwardly and engage and support the centrifuge drum 2.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention the protective jacket 1 is mounted above the centrifuges center of gravity in a gimbal mounting which includes a ring 8 having pins 7, 7 at respective diametrically opposite locations for pivotally supporting the jacket 1. The ring 8 itself is provided with pins 9 which are pivotally carried in supporting brackets or bearings 10 which are resiliently mounted on spring elements 11 at respective diametrically opposite sides of the ring 8 and are supported on beams 12, 12. The pivot pins 9 support the ring for rotation about an axis which extends at 90 from the axis defined by the pins 7.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention the jacket 1 is provide with a top flange or ring la which provides a mounting for an emptying device generally designated 13. The emptying device 13 advantageously includes scraper elements 13 which extend into and contact the walls of the drum 2 for removing materials therefrom.

In the embodiment indicated in FIG. 3, there is a centrifuge which includes a protective jacket 1 which is similar to that shown in FIG. 1. The jacket 1' is supported on a gimbal mounting which includes a gimbal ring 8' which in turn is mounted for pivotal movements on bearings generally designated 10' which provides a pivot plane substantially 90 away from the pivot plane of the cover 1' in respect to the ring 8'.

In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the centrifuge drum 2' is driven by a drive shaft 16 from an electric motor 15 which is mounted on a fixed frame 14. The shaft 16 is a telescoping shaft and it advantageously includes a splined end 16' which is received within a hollow cylindrical end 17' of a universal joint member 17. An additional universal joint member 18 connects the shaft 16 with a hub 5' which is connected to the centrifuge drum 2' by spokes 6. The hub 5 carries a pin 19 which is mounted in a bushing 20 which i rigidly affixed to the protective jacket 1' by means of arms 4.

lclaim:

1. A centrifuge comprising a fixed support, a horizontally arranged gimbal ring, means pivotally and resiliently supporting said ring on said fixed support for rotation about a first axis extending diametrically across said ring, said resilient means include a plurality of spring elements having a spring travel greater in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction, a vertically extending cylindrically shaped protective centrifuge cover located within said ring, second pivot means carried on said ring and in engagement with said protective cover for pivotally supporting said cover for pivotal movement about a second axis spaced angularly in the plane of said ring at from said first axis, a drum located within said protective cover, means mounting said drum wthin said cover for rotation therewithin, and drive means connected to said drum to rotate said drum.

2. A centrifuge according to claim 1 characterized in that said means for rotating said drum comprising a driving motor, means mounting said driving motor in a fixed location adjacent said drum, and pivotal and extensible shaft means connected between said motor and said drum for rotating said drum within said gimbal suspension.

3. A centrifuge according to claim 1 including an emptying device mounted on said protective cover and having means extending into said drum.

4. A centrifuge according to claim 1 wherein said drive means includes a fluid drive motor, arms extending inwardly from said protective cover and pivotally supporting said drive motor within said cover, and means connecting said drive motor to said drum.

5. A centrifuge according to claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a fixed motor, means on said cover extending centrally therewithin and rotatably supporting said drum, and shaft means having pivotal and extensible portions connected to said fixed drive motor and to said drum for rotating said drum.

6. A centrifuge according to claim 1 characterized in that the suspension of the centrifuge in said gimbal ring is located about the center of gravity of the centrifuge. 

1. A centrifuge comprising a fixed support, a horizontally arranged gimbal ring, means pivotally and resiliently supporting said ring on said fixed support for rotation about a first axis extending diametrically across said ring, said resilient means include a plurality of spring elements having a spring travel greater in the horizontal direction than in the vertical direction, a vertically extending cylindrically shaped protective centrifuge cover located within said ring, second pivot means carried on said ring and in engagement with said protective cover for pivotally supporting said cover for pivotal movement about a second axis spaced angularly in the plane of said ring at 90* from said first axis, a drum located within said protective cover, meanS mounting said drum wthin said cover for rotation therewithin, and drive means connected to said drum to rotate said drum.
 2. A centrifuge according to claim 1 characterized in that said means for rotating said drum comprising a driving motor, means mounting said driving motor in a fixed location adjacent said drum, and pivotal and extensible shaft means connected between said motor and said drum for rotating said drum within said gimbal suspension.
 3. A centrifuge according to claim 1 including an emptying device mounted on said protective cover and having means extending into said drum.
 4. A centrifuge according to claim 1 wherein said drive means includes a fluid drive motor, arms extending inwardly from said protective cover and pivotally supporting said drive motor within said cover, and means connecting said drive motor to said drum.
 5. A centrifuge according to claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a fixed motor, means on said cover extending centrally therewithin and rotatably supporting said drum, and shaft means having pivotal and extensible portions connected to said fixed drive motor and to said drum for rotating said drum.
 6. A centrifuge according to claim 1, characterized in that the suspension of the centrifuge in said gimbal ring is located about the center of gravity of the centrifuge. 